She had yellow hair
by CoffeeCatsandCurses
Summary: Akkarin/OC. She owed him for helping her all those years ago in the Guild, but she hadn't intended to repay him so generously. They both shared a similar past and with their knowledge they could stop the war that threatened Kyralia and the Guild.
1. Novice life

Disclaimer, I only own the OC, the rest of the Guild and Kyralia and all that belongs to the original author T. Canavan.

Something i wrote in about two nights of hand and thought i would share, enjoy!

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She hurried along the corridor leaving her class as quickly as she could. Behind her she could hear laughter and hastened her steps reaching the entrance hall. But her escape attempt failed when she was met by a small group of novice's waiting in the entrance. She stopped dead as they advanced smiling wickedly at her. She gave a deep sigh and resigned herself to her fate and continued towards them. They deliberately knocked into her send her and all her books sprawling. The stopped and laughed as they watched her reach for her scattered items then stopped when two figures entered and walked towards them. The group began to back away from the elder Novices who frowned at the scene.

The girl on the floor didn't notice her rescuers till she reached for a book the same time as one of them.

'What's going on here?' the other asked looking at the younger students.

'Sh-she wasn't looking where she was going and walked r-right into us' one said rather unconvincingly then they all looked at each other and ran from the entrance.

On the floor the girl started wide eyed at the young man before her before hastily taking the book from him and standing. She brushed herself down and looked at the two standing over her.

'Thank you…but I didn't need your help' she said looking at their chests.

'Why did they do that?' asked the one who had watched the group flee.

She looked at him in surprise, because…well I'm different' she said looking down again and then began to take a step away from them.

'What?' her responded looking at her again surprised.  
She stopped and looked at them. Both were a few years older, perhaps in their final year at the Academy. The one who helped her was taller, with long dark hair tied back and a handsome face. The other was similarly styled but his featured distorted by his expression.

'My hair…they make fun of me for it' she said pointing to her white blonde hair before turning off and leaving the entrance hurriedly.

'Wait, what's your name?' The dark haired one called after her.

She shook her head and ran from them outside.

The two watched her and the one who questioned her shook his head, 'What is it with the new intakes these past few years Akkarin?' he said looking at his friend.

'No idea, but to bully over the colour of someone hair…' he said and turned to his friend, 'I thought she was rather pretty…' Akkarin said offhandedly.

'Hah, well that I haven't heard, Akkarin taking an interest in a girl…whatever next?!' he said smiling

'Come on Lorlen we have a class to get to' Akkarin responded with a sigh and the two left the entrance.

The girl slowed her pace to a quick walk as she made her way to the residences and waving at some of the other residents as she passed them. She entered the small house.

'Father?' she called out but there was silence, she sighed. He must be in the main building studying somewhere she though and left a small note then taking a sandwich before leaving the house and returning to the Academy.

She narrowly avoided another incident after the final classes and managed to return to her room unscathed. It had been two years and every day she now faced the challenge of avoiding her bullies. On top of making sure she studied hard and passed her examinations.

Akkarin and Lorlen stopped quickly and darted behind two trees on the edge of the clearing. It was a warm summer day and during their free afternnon they had decided to return to their favourite spot. However, as they reached it they darted behind a tree after hearing the splash of someone in the pool.

'Akkarin we should go…' Lorlen said glancing over.

'No, I want to see who else knows about this place' he whispered back and crept forward keeping low and stopping behind a tree right on the edge and with a clear view of the pool.

Lorlen hung back and watched his friend, 'See anything?' he called in a strained whisper.

'Shh' Akkarin gestured behind him for him to keep quiet as he watched.

Before him in the pool was a figure swimming leisurely in the water. He waited and they rose. He recognised her as the girl they had helped in the entrance some time ago, with long bright blonde hair. She rose out of the pool unaware of her watcher and dried herself before putting her novice robes back on and tying part of her hair back. She picked up her things and then looking around and pausing when she looked up at the clear sunny sky she slowly and airily walked form the clearing and back in the woods heading in the direction of the residences.

Akkarin backed stepped out and Lorlen followed his lead, they seated themselves before their spot and began a silent game.

'Who was it then? I didn't see…' Loren said casually.

'The girl we helped out a few months back, the light haired girl'

'The one you said was good looking hmm' Lorlen said a smile playing on his features.

He then swiftly lost to Akkarin in their game before beginning another.

'So it seems were not the only ones who know this place exists'

'I would have though one or two thers might know it, though it is out of the way and takes time to get to' Akkarin said looking out at the water, 'it is a good hiding place'

'That's why we found it remember' Lorlen said pointedly and sneaking an extra move against his opponent.  
Akkarin simply hummed a response and then the conversation turned to their final year and the summer ahead.

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The chapters are slightly disjointed, since i didn't really write it with chapters in mind. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and the rest to follow :D xx


	2. The secret clearing

Again days passed for them before Akkarin once again saw a familiar beacon of har maing her way across the grounds to the woods. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to get her along and find out her name he feigned feeling ill and escaped with a note to go to the healers. He snuck out of the entrance hall and glided over the grounds to the edge of the woods where he masked his presence and entered following the familiar route to the clearing and pond.

He hid behind the same tree and watched her step slowly into the pool, her robes folded on the side. He smiled as she dunked her head under. He took this moment to reveal himself and sat casually on a rock on the edge of the pool waiting for her to resurface.

Her head popped up not far away and she turned. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of him sitting there watching her with a smile.

'It's a beautiful day to go swimming' He said and chuckled at her reddening face.

'H-how long have you been watching!' she said shakily.

'Not long' he said casually.  
She glared at him and sank so only her head bobbed above the surface watching him.

'How did you find this place?' she asked next and earned another chuckle.

'I've known about this place a long time, me and Lorlen come here to escape sometimes and talk alone. We hid a game over in that rock there' he said pointing to his right at the rounded boulder.

'Oh…well…shouldn't you be class anyway?' she said trying to get him to leave her be.

'I wasn't feeling well, and when I saw you heading this way I couldn't help but follow. You didn't give me your name last time we met' he said and lay down with id head turned to watch her.

She glided across the water still keeping herself low in the water till she was right next to him.

'It's Elanea…What's yours?' she asked back.

'Akkarin' he replied.

She reached out her hands, 'Well Akkarin, you should know better than to watch a girl while she's bathing' she pulled on his robes and pulled him into the water then quickly glided to the far side.

Akkarin rose and smoothed his hair down and looked for her. she watched him, slightly red from the far side but a smile on her face. He laughed and then began to take his robes off throwing them in a patch of sunlight to dry before staking over to her.  
She widened her eyes at his actions and attempted to dark away but he caught her waist and pulled her bad against a moss covered rock, cornering her.

'That wasn't fair, though at least the water's warm…I assume you…' he said looking at her bright eyes.  
She nodded unable to say anything in this close and compromising position she had gotten herself into. He nodded with a smile, 'nicely done, you've got skill' he said and she went even redder. Akkarin shook his head at her reaction and backed away slightly still within reach to stop her leaving, he was enjoying this.

'I need to get back…' she said in the silence, rather unconvincingly and Akkarin sighed.

'Look, I think you're…very pretty' He said and watched her she, to his amazement grew even more flush and sank low in the water, just up to her chin.

'Thank you' she said quietly in response and then looked at him, she couldn't deny he too was attractive, standing so his broad shoulder peaked out of the water. His black hair, now wet was still tied back in and old fashioned way and she was smiling at her.

'Have you always had light hair?' He said reaching out and taking a strand in his fingers.

'No…only recently, well in the past year' she said and watched him twist her hair in his fingers, 'My mother was an alchemist…she wanted to see if we could change out hair with magic and well, managed to permanently change mine to this with no way to reverse it or dye it' she said in a calm voice lost in her own words.

'I like it' he said watching her lost in her memory then placed his free hand on her cheek and pulled her face to his kissing her gently. She relaxed in his grip and allowed him to move flush against her, the water around them seeming warmer suddenly. They became lost in one another, hands roaming and heavy breathing till eventually Akkarin lay on his back on his dry robes with Elanea laying against him. He looked at the sky and the passing wisps of cloud and slowly the world came back to them. She rose first and dried her hair and redressed into her robes as he too followed suit.

They walked quietly side by side through the woods, nothing left to say to each other until they reached the edge of the wood.

'Elanea…' He began but she interrupted him, 'I'll be here over the summer, I live with my father in the residences so…I'll be here again' she said hurriedly and then hesitantly took a step further.  
Akkarin stopped her and pulled her close to him under the shade of the trees and places a chaste kiss on her lips, 'Okay then we'll see each other again' he smiled and let her got then left in the direction of the main entrance while she left for the Novice quarters.

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R&R I know Akkarin (that we know) is probably out of character but this is a younger, more carefree student Akkarin...so i hope it works...  
Also apologies if there is any ridiculous misspelling, i try my hardest.


	3. And how things change

They met again several times before the holidays really began and even more so after that. Akkarin and Lorlen had opted to stay in the Guild over the summer rather than return to their homes. Though the two had kept their romance a secret Lorlen couldn't help but guess that there was something between the two. They occasionally met in the library or out in the gardens and would talk for some time.  
Even in Akkarin and Lorlen's final year the two remained seeing each other out of sight.

Then several days after his graduation they lay together in a bubble of warmth under a winter twilight.  
'I've hear rumour you're leaving' She said to him absently.  
'I want to travel and research certain old magic not found here' he said playing with her hair. 'You don't want me to go?'  
'If I had a choice I would go with you, but I need to stay here and finish…and my father needs me here, he's been getting worse' she said and rolled onto her back looking up.  
Akkarin turned his head to look at her, 'I'll be back' he said softly and rolled onto his side looking down at her.  
'I'll still be here…I'll wait' she said looking at him, her kyralian eyes bright as she looked at his matching ones.  
'I don't want you wasting away over me' he said with mock strictness in his voice.  
She smiled and a light laugh left her lips, 'like I would let you do something like that…I suppose I knew we would be apart for some time eventually' she said and stroked his cheek, 'though don't be gone to long' she said and pulled him down into a kiss.

She stood next to Lorlen in the steps watching him leave. He was travelling the allied countries in search of old magic and ancient sorcery. They waved and Lorlen sighed in his red robes, 'I just hope he doesn't get into trouble' he said with a laugh.  
'Unlikely, though without you I don't know how he'll cope' she said back with a smile.  
'I know what you mean' he said wistfully looking at the gates of the Guild now closed.

Two years later Elanea graduated with excellence and was soon packing a cart beside her father who on an impulse had decided he wished to do research in Sachaka. There was a great deal of opposition to his decision but he said he had nothing here and need to leave. Knowing her father was not in great health and wouldn't fair well alone Elanea had decided to go with him. Her chosen speciality, healing would help. She was also being dissuaded by various healers and magician about venturing into Sachaka, however, knew she too had little left at the Guild to keep her there. Akkarin had yet to return and he had stopped sending word. She had bade Lorlen farewell despite his persistent attempts to stop her going. Then sitting at the front of the cart in her green robes and a travelling cloak next to her father they left.

It was night and their fire burned low. Elanea and her father had set camp for their second night in Sachaka. There was desert stretching about them and having not encountered anything for two days they both slept.  
their fire had been spotted some distance off and three figures crept amongst their things whispering in a foreign tongue before a fourth appeared behind them, a sinister jewelled dagger in his grasp. He silently sliced Elanea's father and while his companions held him down and quiet he drew his power and strength through the cut till he could fight no more. He took one of the three figures to where Elanea lay and again they repeated the same action while her father was being bound.  
She started at the pain in her arm and then panicked as a hand clasped over her mouth and two pairs of hands held her down.

When she was securely bound and awoken the four intruders lit torches from the dying fire and examined their catch.  
She saw them now in the fire light, thee gaunt looking figures with ropes binding their hands and feet while the fourth was tall and strong looking, he looked over them both as if judging their worth and origin. She wriggled in her bonds weakly and he kicked her and she shot him a glare. His dark skin indicated he was Sahakan, as were the others but he clearly stood above them.  
He said something in their foreign tongue and they were hauled up and supported by the three Sachakans.  
They walked or rather stumbled for some time till they saw in the distance another camp, large and spread out. As they entered the light of several small fires and lamps Elanea saw several gaunt faces peering around at the newcomers from their places on the ground. The tall Sachakan barked at them and the turned away quickly, some receiving kicks and she heard the bite of a whip as she was pushed into a large tent made from swathes of orange and red fabrics.  
She landed heavily next to her father who looked pale and wide eyed, her concern for her father override her confusion and fear of what was happening about her and she shuffled closer to him.


End file.
